Unauthorized drone causes flight disruptions in Van
VAN
An unauthorized drone prompted two passenger flights headed to the eastern province of Van to loop in midair during landing, forcing them to be redirected to a nearby airport.
The planes circled above Van Lake after the pilots notified the air traffic controller of the issue, but both were redirected to an airport in Diyarbakır, a southeastern city, due to critical fuel levels.
Civil aviation regulations prioritize aircraft safety when an unlicensed drone is spotted near an airport. If a drone poses a threat, the plane may be unable to land and could instead be redirected to another airport or held in midair, as was the case in this instance.
As a result of the critical safety risks posed, individuals who operate drones without authorization face severe penalties or prison time in many countries.
In Türkiye, the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (SHGM) also has rigorous laws regarding drone flying.
A new regulation designed within this scope states that anyone found operating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) without flying permission and caught by general law enforcement would be subject to an administrative punishment of 60,000 Turkish Liras.
Fines ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 liras have been increased to between 20,000 and 500,000 liras under the same regulation, for offenses such as commercial air operators failing to obtain an operating license from the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry and civil aviation personnel failing to secure a certificate of competence.
